Barbuzzo — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Our dinner last night was a significant disappointment, especially given our hopes for a great experience. Arriving ten minutes early for our 5:00 PM reservation, we were met with a drizzling rain and told to return at the official opening time. While we understand the need for preparation, a little consideration for waiting patrons goes a long way.

Returning at 5:00 PM, we found the restaurant empty of anyone to greet or seat us. Staff members were gathered around the bar, chatting amongst themselves. Several other patrons, also tired of waiting, eventually seated themselves at the bar. We were finally seated after a delay (apparently due to the hostess preparing a takeout order, though someone else could have easily acknowledged us). We were given menus and then waited another ten minutes while the staff continued their conversation at the bar. Eventually, someone offered us water, mentioning that our server would be with us shortly.

Our server, though polite, never introduced himself. The service was generally unremarkable, neither particularly good nor bad. Throughout the meal, the staff continued to congregate and chat near our table, creating an intrusive and uncomfortable atmosphere.

The food was equally underwhelming. While the kale salad was enjoyable and the whipped ricotta appetizer was good, the chicory salad wasn't to my taste. The main courses, described as "family style," were served in small portions and didn't live up to the description. The pizzas were mediocre at best – gooey and lacking structure, reminiscent of airport pizza. The salted caramel bundito (spelling?) was a highlight, but the tiramisu was stale and had to be returned.

Our wine choice, a Valpolicella, was fortunately a success. However, the restaurant would benefit from having a more knowledgeable staff member available to offer wine recommendations. One member of our party ordered a dirty martini and found it to be too heavy on the vermouth.

Overall, the evening was marred by a lack of attention to detail and a generally lackadaisical attitude from the staff. Combined with the uninspired food, the experience was forgettable. At over $80 per person, we won't be returning. There are simply too many other restaurants that would appreciate...

My family and I had brunch here this morning. The food is excellent; we loved the beet salad, the brunch spaghetti, and the pizza.

When we made the reservation, we had originally been told that our group of 7 would have to be split into 2 tables, but when we arrived, we discovered that they had actually grouped together a couple tables so that we could all sit together at the front of the restaurant. We were very grateful that the staff had accommodated this so our entire family could sit together.

However, we unfortunately left the restaurant with a bad taste in our mouth because of how rude and unprofessional the hostess was to us--hence only 4 stars. When we showed up, we informed the hostess that one of the people in our reservation was a baby, so we asked if they had a high chair. She paused for a long time and said in an annoyed voice, "I didn't realize you had an infant." Without another word, she went to the back and brought out a high chair. We weren't sure why this was such a big deal since we had counted the baby in the reservation and weren't taking up any additional room. When the hostess came back with the high chair, I thanked her and placed it at the end of the table, against a window and away from other tables so that it wouldn't get in anyone's way. The hostess then removed one of the chairs from the table, which would have forced 4 of the adults to sit on the banquette bench and 2 adults to sit on one side. Once we all sat down and realized that it didn't make sense to squeeze 4 people on one side, we asked our waitress (a different woman) if we could actually have the chair back, so that the adults could evenly space out with 3 on each side. The waitress was very kind and said it was no problem. But the hostess, who was standing at her desk right by our table, rolled her eyes at our request. The hostess was the one who then went to get the chair, and when she brought it to our table, she slammed the chair down with more force than was necessary. Our group was extremely taken aback by this behavior.

We highly recommend the food here, and our waitress was excellent, but the hostess made us feel unwelcome. We would probably not recommend this establishment to other families with young children given our...

I had the misfortune of dining at Barbuzzo, and I must say it was a nightmarish experience of epic proportions. The whole evening was a symphony of culinary disasters and bizarre occurrences that I can't help but recount.

Firstly, the salad was a sad, wilted excuse for a salad. It appeared as if it had been marinating in the fridge for a few lifetimes. I took a bite, and I knew I had made a terrible mistake.

The entrees that followed were a catastrophe. They were undercooked and cold, causing a digestive rebellion that I won't go into further detail about. Let's just say, the restaurant may need to invest in a few thermometers.

But that wasn't the worst of it. Out of nowhere, rabid dogs burst through the door, swarming and attacking me and other patrons. It was like a scene from a horror movie. I never thought I'd have to defend myself with a breadstick.

Then, a man in a taco costume, who clearly wasn't an employee, started pouring beverages into everyone's laps. He was muttering some nonsense about tacos and sodas while wreaking havoc in the restaurant.

To add to the chaos, there was a business baby at a nearby table who was on the phone the entire time, screaming at the top of their lungs, and the staff didn't make them leave. It was as if Barbuzzo had become a daycare for misbehaving infants.

Outside, a gang of children engaged in antics that defied logic. They kept mooning us, pressing their bare hams against the window while opening the door, and throwing old meat at us while we were trying to dine. It was like a surreal circus performance gone terribly wrong.

And if that wasn't enough, the owner, who had apparently lost his marbles, kept flipping off the guests and grabbing his butt. In between these outrageous acts, he made absurd proclamations like, "This is fine dining, folks!" and "You're all in my world now!" It was a display of madness that I hope never to witness again.

In conclusion, my visit to Barbuzzo was an experience I'll never forget, for all the wrong reasons. I can only hope that the restaurant reevaluates its concept and brings some sanity back to its...